In July 2022, Facebook had 2.9 billion active users. This makes the social media giant the most active platform in the world. However, more than 2 billion users may cause you to drop your jaw. But this number has fallen over the past few months. In terms of numbers, this slight bump amounts to 2 million users.
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Why Should I Deactivate my Facebook Account?
Recently, a study revealed that bidding farewell to Facebook could be beneficial for your mental health. A practical demonstration was carried out as individuals were asked to deactivate their accounts. In exchange for money, a fair trade. Researchers noticed that deactivation played a significant role in improving one’s mood. The individuals who deactivated their accounts reported back positively. They felt an improvement in well-being and an increase in self-reported happiness. Ailments such as depression and anxiety also saw a downturn.
Deactivating Facebook Application Via Android/iOS Devices
If you have decided to voyage on the journey of deactivating your Facebook account, we can be your guiding light in this journey.
Here are the steps that you need to follow to deactivate your Facebook account via the application:
- Launch the Facebook application from your phone.
- Scroll down and tap on the Settings & Privacy option.
- Tap on the Settings option.
- Under the Settings option, you would see the Account Ownership and Control section; tap on that!
- Further tap on the Deactivation and deletion option.
- You would be shown a prompt requesting you to enter your Facebook password.
- Enter your account’s password and tap on Continue.
- Choose the Deactivate account option; this will redirect you to the account deactivation section.Â
- Facebook will provide you with a plethora of reasons to choose from as to why you are deactivating your account.Â
- Select a reason or write one yourself, then tap on Continue.Â
- Carefully go through the alternatives that Facebook has to offer you.
- Facebook gives you the option to reactivate your account automatically. You can choose when the reactivation should occur (somewhere between 1 to 7 days).
- You can either take this step or choose not to reactivate your account manually.Â
- Tap Continue to proceed.
- Facebook provides you with the option of using Messenger while deactivating the notifications.Â
- Finally, tap on the ‘Deactivate My Account’ bar.Â
- You’ll be redirected to the login page, where the deactivation is confirmed.Â
Deactivating Facebook Account Through a Mobile BrowserÂ
There’s no need to worry if you don’t have the Facebook application installed on your device. We have a solution on how to deactivate your account on your mobile browser. The interface is a little different. But the process is similar to the one stated above. It allows you to temporarily lose access to your account as per your desire.Â
What Happens Next?
Since you have made the decision to deactivate your account, allow me to run you through what would happen next. When you deactivate your account, it disables your profile and removes your name.
It hides your profile picture from most of the things you previously posted on social media. However, you would still be visible to your friends in their contacts. Your friends can also view the messages they sent you.
If you want to stay in contact with your friends, there’s an option available through which you can still use Messenger while your account is deactivated. Your friends can still tag you in memes or funny videos, and you’ll continue to receive notifications until you disable them.Â
Taking Things One Step Further
If you are tired of using Facebook and constant notifications bugging your phone, you might consider deleting your account.
Here are the steps that you need to follow to delete your Facebook account:
- Launch Facebook on your deviceÂ
- Tap on the three-lined icon
- Tap on Settings and Privacy
- Then tap on SettingsÂ
- Choose the ‘Account Ownership and Control’ option
- Tap on the Deactivation and Delete optionÂ
- Lastly, tap on delete accountÂ
- Your Facebook account has now been deletedÂ
Is There a Way Back?
Facebook says that a 90 days grace period is given to individuals to remove the account deletion request. Before Facebook removes your posts permanently. Your data may be kept in the company’s database as a legal requirement. You have 30 days to cancel deletion on your account, and here’s how to do that:
- Login to your Facebook accountÂ
- Tap on the Cancel Deletion icon
That’s all you need to do to recover your Facebook account.
Putting Things Into Perspective
If you are looking to take a break from Facebook, then deactivating it for some time is the way to go. Having some distance from the platform allows you to reassess your priorities. Such a measure helps improve your mental well-being. It can help improve your productivity as fewer distractions are at your disposal.Â
